Intertwined Destiny
by lossofmerlin
Summary: This story explores the idea, what if Daenerys had met Jorah sooner and developed a sense of self-worth, as well as a spark of romance towards the man responsible for giving it to her?


Daenerys sat on the bank of a small stream, her legs tucked to the side of her, the folds of her salmon colored dress cascading all around her. Her pale hair rustled freely in the light breeze that felt refreshing in the usual constant heat of Essos. She listened to the cool water as it meandered along, in no particular rush. It was such a little stream and yet... it was connected to something far greater. The water could no more escape its path, than she. The stream had to keep going, never stopping, until one day it would find its way home. She smiled wistfully for a moment and then inhaled slow and deeply, enjoying the peaceful feeling of the air within her lungs. She knew she should head back soon or her brother would begin to worry before long. As if on cue, she heard footsteps approaching. She swallowed, hoping Viserys would not be too cross that he had to walk all the way out here to find her. It irritated her that he was here to spoil her special place of solace. She turned and stood in one fluid movement and then inhaled sharply to discover it was not her brother who was watching her.

Jorah thought to himself, "I must have startled this poor girl." He looked the girl up and down noticing her features, white hair and purple eyes. She must be one of the remaining Targaryens. "You must be Daenerys Targaryen," he said to the girl. "It's dangerous for you to be out in the wilderness alone."

Her fears calmed instantly when she could see that he meant her no harm. She had always had a way of sensing such things about a person, like catching a glimpse into their soul. She gave a wane smile at his comment of danger. She certainly never felt that way when she would visit such peaceful places, but she had a feeling that her brother might be want to agree. Which is why she always made sure to return home before he could notice her missing. She wondered who this stranger was. "I am Daenerys," she replied, feeling uncertain if her brother would approve of them speaking. Sometimes Viserys scared her with his unpredictable moods, but she knew he only wanted what was best for her.

Jorah dropped to one knee. "My Grace, I have traveled far to swear my services to you. The Targaryens are the true rulers of Westeros, not the usurper Baratheon. My sword is yours," he said, looking down at the ground.

Her eyes widened slightly as a warmth spread over her. She was not used to being treated in such a way. Her eyes darted around in sudden fear, wanting to make sure her brother was nowhere around. "Thank... you," she hurried to say, wanting to acknowledge his touching sentiment, and also wanting it to stop. Her words sounded as flushed as she felt.

"I did not mean to frighten you," Jorah exclaimed. Jordan stood up. "What are you doing out here all alone?"

"I... come here sometimes, to be alone with my thoughts." She was used to keeping her innermost thoughts private from Viserys, but there was something about this stranger that elicited trust. "What is your name?" She looked upon him with curious eyes.

"Sir Jorah Mormont, of Bear Island," he said, locking eyes with Daenerys.

She nodded slowly even though she was not entirely sure of the location. "I am glad to meet you Sir Jorah." It felt nice talking with him and suddenly she wanted to do more of it. "You said, you have come to serve my family," she asked tentatively.

Jorah smiled. "Yes, the Targaryens are the rightful rulers of Westeros, the Seven Kingdoms deserve to have them back."

"So I have been told." She tried not to sigh because some days it felt like the only thing she heard. She swallowed, feeling nervous to share deeper thoughts with him. "Did my... brother, send for you?" She wanted to know if this man, Jorah, shared the same opinions as Viserys.

Jorah, said reassuringly, "Your brother does not know I am here, I came for you." He placed his hands on her shoulders, trying to comfort her. "Your brother does not deserve to sit on the Iron Throne."

Her breathing got heavier as a fearfulness mixed with hope, filled her, as he spoke. Even though she felt a trust for this man, the feeling when he placed his hands on her was all too similar to when Viserys would touch her, which caused her to freeze up. She stood perfectly still, having been conditioned never to move during such times. But unlike moments with her brother when she would let her thoughts drift far, far away, right now her mind was sharp, pondering the words Jorah had just spoken. "Do not let my brother hear you say such things," she replied in a soft whisper.

"Just know where my loyalties lie." Realizing that his touch had caused her to freeze in place, Jorah took them off her shoulders. "I will do anything that you ask of me," he said in a reassuring tone.

She smiled softly at him, believing he spoke in earnest, even if she could not imagine his reasoning. "Why would you..." she trailed off. Her whole life she had been taught to believe she was nothing. Many times her brother would say otherwise, regale her with tales of how she played a vital role. Which should have made her feel special, perhaps in their younger years it had. But the way Viserys treated her spoke far more than his words ever could. Sir Jorah was treating her as if she mattered. It felt foreign and as much as it felt good and comforting, it also frightened her. She was scared to allow herself to feel like she was deserving of anything more than what her life had always been. She looked back to the stream. For so many years she had taken comfort in only one thing... going home. Something deep inside of her promised she would finally know joy and peace if she could only find her way home. Nothing else mattered, least of all her. Still...

She turned her eyes back to Jorah. "Would you accompany me back?" She had not felt worried before he had arrived and invaded her solace, but now being near him filled her with an even greater feeling of comfort than her stolen moments of solitude ever had. She did not want to let go of such peace just yet.

He smiled. "I would gladly accompany you back, my lady. Lead the way." He extended his arm to her. "You might want to watch your step," he said.

She took hold of his offered arm and nodded in the direction of where she resided. As they began their way forward, she spoke again. "I am grateful that you have come, to assist my brother and I, in returning home."

As they walked, he said, "The road home will be very dangerous, King Robert still degrees that all Targaryens are to be slain." He paused. "I'm afraid the only way to return home is by force. I believe your brother is trying to secure an army." Jorah stopped, and looked at Dany. "You will need to be strong to face the road ahead."

She nodded, her brow furrowing in resolve. "I know. My brother always says that is the most important thing. I will fight if I must." And she meant it. Going home was all that mattered to her. "Will you fight beside me," she asked, looking up at him in earnest as they walked.

He looked down at her. "I will gladly fight and give my life for you if I must."

"I hope it will not come to that." She turned her eyes back to the path ahead. Though they had only just met, she did not like the idea of him no longer being in this world. She fell to silence as they continued along.

Jorah noticed a flower on the side of the path and proceeded to pick it and give it to Daenerys. He said, "A pretty flower for a pretty girl."

She stared at him blankly as he pressed the flower against her palm. "I..." She felt a loss for words. They had stopped walking just outside of her dwelling. She looked down at her hand, which was cupping the delicate pale pink flower, and then back up at him.

"Daenerys," her name was uttered harshly, pulling her attention towards her home where her brother was exiting from. Within seconds he was at her side, and grabbed hold of her forearm painfully enough to make her wince.

"Where have you been," he demanded as he gave her a hard shake.

"I was just..."

Viserys was in no mood to listen and he threw her towards to ground. "Get home," he hissed.

Jorah turned to him and said, "It was my fault that she was held up, my Lord. I took up too much of her time. The blame should be placed on me." Jorah began to bow his head.

Viserys rounded on the man who was speaking, an ugly scowl upon his face. He moved closer to the stranger. "Who gave you permission to do that? I don't even know you!" Though Viserys noted as an afterthought that the man was bowing his head in respect. At least he recognized true nobility when he saw it. Viserys drew several intentionally longer breaths to try and calm himself. "But I see you know who I am," he spoke more calmly, though the agitation was not entirely gone. "Who might you be?"

"I am Sir Jorah Mormont of Bear Island, I am here to serve the true rulers of the Seven Kingdoms."

Viserys narrowed his eyes for a moment. With one more deep breath he righted his mood and plastered on a smile. "You are most welcome here. And if you serve me well, you will be highly respected in my court when I reclaim the throne."

Daenerys had picked herself up and dusted off her dress, being sure to keep a tight hold of the flower in her hand so that she might keep it. She knew her brother would not want an interruption, especially now that he was warming up to Jorah, so she walked into the house without saying goodnight. Daenerys hoped they would get more time to speak again soon.

Jorah watched as Daenerys left the room. He quickly turned to Viserys and said, "My sword and life are yours, my Grace." After he said that he wondered if Daenerys was okay and thought to himself, if this boy were not his king then the next time he touched her would be the last.

Viserys nodded to Jorah. "Your sword will come in handy in the days to follow. We shall be leaving Essos soon. My sister is to be wed before the week's end. It was meant to be a surprise but your arrival has put me in a celebratory mood and I have decided to share the news with my sister as soon as possible! I am a good judge of character and I know I will be able to count on you to guide her towards her destiny, should she have any doubts."

Daenerys made her way into her bedroom and closed the door. She was still holding the small little flower, and set it down upon the table beside her bed. There were so many questions that filled her mind. Why did Sir Jorah say that her brother did not deserve to sit on the throne? Why had he treated her with such respect? How was it that this stranger had made her feel hopefulness for her future that she had never known before? It made her feel light and carefree and she glided around her room as if she could fly. She was still on an emotional high when her brother entered the room.

"Sister, we must speak. I have wonderful news for you!"

 **This story was written in RP format with another writer. I had full control of the siblings, while he wrote all parts concerning Jorah. Please, please leave feedback, as this is my first time posting a story that was co-written in this way, as well as my first attempt at writing this fandom. I have currently only watched the first 2 episodes, so please be gentle when it comes to spoilers. Thx. ^_^**


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